Wattbike sport scientist, Eddie Fletcher caught up with Jimmy Watkins the USA Olympic track cyclist last week. Jimmy does some of his training on a Wattbike Pro training out of Fire Station 55 in Lebec, California where he is a full time fireman working 48 hour shifts!
Jimmy reckons that 'the Wattbike is by far the best training tool I have. Working as a firefighter full time as well as living 2.5 hrs from the nearest track I rely heavily on it to compete at level I do. It is a super stable platform with very realistic resistance. The information you get is unbelievable’.
He had a Wattbike workout already recorded from the day before for Eddie to look at, a punishing 2 set workout, the first set (seated starts) of 3 x 5 second sprints, a 10 second sustained power sprint and a 20 second sustained power sprint (seated starts), the second set (standing start) 3 x 5 second sprints, 20 second sustained power sprint and a 40 second sustained power sprint.
First set was on air resistance 6 and the second set on air resistance 8 – don’t try this workout at home!
Awesome leg speed and power output on the 5 second sprint sections of the workout topping out at over 2000 W and cadence of close to 170 rpm on each one.
His pedalling technique is also awesome and Eddie identified some small improvements which Jimmy could make to get those all so important marginal gains.
Eddie then got Jimmy to do the Wattbike 20 minute cadence based warm up on air resistance level 1. During the first 'rev out’ Jimmy set a record 214 rpm with peak power of 2069 W (unless any of our readers know a higher figure - and remember this is at air resistance level 1).
Truly awesome!
Jimmy’s comment 'the leg speed warm up you had me do today is definitely harder than I normally warm up. But I hit the highest watts I ever have on that setting so I guess it’s my standard warm up now’.
We will be working with, and tracking Jimmy’s progress through to London 2012. Watch out for regular updates.
Jimmy is competing in the Pan Am Games later in October and there will be an opportunity to see him in London at the World Cup Track event in February 2012.